Supreme Court (SC) on Friday sought the outlines of plan from Sindh Government about the revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). "Submit the outlines of plan to tell the court that what government can do and what it can't," three-member bench of SC headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed gave these directions while hearing the case of KCR revival at Karachi Registry.
Bench also ordered Secretary Railway to retrieve the land of his department in Gulshan-e-Iqbal where a railway employees' society has been constructed. Court directed Attorney General, Advocate General Sindh, Chief Secretary Sindh and Secretary Railway to decide in one week how to resettle the people to be displaced from this society.
Earlier during the proceedings, AG Sindh Salman Talabuddin told the court that KCR is included in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Chinese are overseeing this project. AG also complained about the lack of funds for the revival of the project.
SC showed annoyance about the delay in the start of work and remarked that court should perhaps summon Prime Minister and Chief Minister Sindh to know who will work on the project.
Court also expressed displeasure over Railway Department and questioned what the department is doing to revive the project. Court also remarked that people in the department are not competent to run the institution.
AG Sindh told the court that a meeting will be held with Chinese Ambassador on February 25, 2020, which would clear the picture for the financing of the project.
Court observed that revival of KCR seems entirely depend on Chinese financing.
About the encroachment on KCR track, court stated that Secretary Railway admitted that track in Gulshan-e-Iqbal has been encroached.
Court ordered Secretary Railway to remove the encroachment from the said portion of the track and directed to issue notices to the encroachers.
Court also ordered the resettlement of displaced persons and also directed that all the encroachment on KCR track should be removed.
"The assistance of all law enforcing agencies should be acquired for the removal of encroachment," bench ruled.
During the hearing of the case, court showed its annoyance over the lack of progress on the revival of KCR and remarked that court has been assured more than twelve times that project would be revived.
"Tell us in writing that you can't do it," court remarked, at which Secretary Railway responded that we want to restore it.
Secretary Railway told the court that Gilani Station of KCR has been cleared of encroachment.
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